Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Communicable Disease Center (CDC) has marked World Aids Day 2017 with a series of educational events and activities to inform the public and medical community about the disease and ways it can be prevented.
There are nearly 40mn people globally living with HIV/Aids, with around one-third being unaware they are infected. Since the start of the epidemic, an estimated 78mn people have become infected with HIV and 37mn people have died of Aids-relatedillnesses.
Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, head, Infectious Diseases at HMC, said the main mode of HIV transmission in Qatar is through sexual intercourse with HIV-infected people without knowing that they are infected.
“We have seen an increase in the number of new infections this year and it is mainly amongst younger people. This means we need to enhance our efforts to educate the community about risks, how the disease is transmitted and how they can be tested. The earlier HIV is diagnosed, the better the outcome of treatment. Through education and awareness we can help end the disease,” Dr al-Khal said.
To mark World Aids Day 2017, HMC also held a symposium for healthcare professionals centred on the theme of ‘Working Together to Fight Aids.’ CDC staff also visited other HMC hospitals to share information with staff and patients about the disease and the importance of prevention.
“HIV is spread mainly through physical contact during intercourse or by sharing injection needles with someone who has HIV. Qatar has put in place a National Aids Programme focusing on raising awareness of the virus as well as providing comprehensive care to affected individuals living in Qatar,” said Dr al-Khal.
“Under the national programme, anyone living in Qatar who is diagnosed with HIV is given the appropriate counselling and the most advanced treatment available,” Dr al-Khal said. Working in collaboration with the Behavioural Healthcare Center, experts from HMC will be visiting high schools and universities in Qatar over the next 12 months as part of their awareness efforts.
The CDC is one of the cornerstones of Qatar’s fight against Aids, acting as the country’s main diagnosis and treatment facility for infectious diseases.